II International Solera Flamenca Guitar Competition (Year 2022 Solera city of Lebrija award for ‘bulería’)’


WE’VE GOT IT HERE! The ‘II International Solera Flamenca Guitar Competition (Year 2022 Solera city of Lebrija award for ‘bulería’)’.

As you may already know, the ‘I International Solera Flamenca Competition (Year 2021 Solera city of Lebrija award for ‘bulería’)’ took place last year (2021). This event, which was a great success, has already become one of the most important flamenco guitar events in our country.

For this second edition, we have prepared many surprises and news, which we will inform you as the date approaches… STAY TUNED!

This 2nd edition of the Solera Flamenca International Competition will take place, as in its first edition, in the Juan Bernabé Theatre of Lebrija and is scheduled to be held on January 29th, 2022. It will be presented, once again, by the journalist Manolo Curao, a renowned and respected journalist who has dedicated practically his entire professional career on Canal Sur to flamenco, directing and presenting countless programmes for the Andalusian radio and television. He has been awarded various prizes such as the “Giraldillo de honor de la Bienal de Sevilla”, the “Flamenco Hoy” award and the “Premio Ondas 2010” for the programming of flamencoradio.com, as well as being part of the Advisory Board of “la Bienal de Flamenco” in Sevilla.

In the final of this competition, we have decided to evaluate the guitarist in a more global way. This way, the artist will be judged taking into account the three most important aspects of the flamenco guitar:

Solo or concert guitar

Accompaniment to vocals

Accompaniment to dance

To do this, the artist will start his performance with a guitar solo (which will last between 4-8 minutes) and will be joined by a cantaor (flamenco singer) whom they will accompany for approximately 2 minutes, and then a bailaora (female dancer) whom they will accompany for approximately another 2 minutes. This will be all part of the same performance, so that the entire show offered by the guitarist can be judged during the 10-15 minutes that the performance will last. This has never been done before and therefore, we will enjoy a very appealing show, truly attractive for the audience as well as a real challenge for the participating guitarists!

This year’s jury will be made up of the guitarists Rycardo Moreno, Jerónimo Maya, Pedro Javier González, the journalist, writer and flamenco critic Manuel Martín, and the audience himself!

In addition, this year, while the jury is deliberating, we will have the pleasure of having the guitarist Paco de Amparo, one of the ambassadors par excellence of Morón guitar playing.

In order to arrange the starting times and keys with the cantaor and the bailaora, some small rehearsals will be organised on the morning of the day of the event.

We would like to thank the support and participation of all the guitar makers who collaborate in the competition and the sponsoring companies that wanted to be part of this project. Thanks to them, the II Solera Flamenca International Competition (Year 2022 Solera city of Lebrija award for ‘bulería’) has become a reality. We would also like to make a special mention to the Lebrija Town Hall and the Aura Foundation, because without them, it would not have been possible to carry out this new and second edition.

See below for the rules of the II Solera Flamenca International Competition (Year 2022 Solera city of Lebrija award for ‘bulería’):

1. How to enter

The competition is open to guitarists of any gender and nationality.

Candidates should submit a video to the email soleraporbuleria@gmail.com performing a bulería of their own composition with a duration of between 4 and 8 minutes, corresponding to the soloist part of the performance.

The registration period for submitting the video starts on 08th December 2021 and ends on 16th January 2021.

Regarding the qualification criteria, the following will be assessed:

a) The composition and originality of the composition.
b) Sense of rhythm.
c) Creativity.
d) The quality and purity of the sound.

After a thorough analysis of the videos received, the jury will select the five best bulerías and will inform those who have qualified of their place in the final of the competition by e-mail.

2. Final phase

Five guitarists will qualify for the final phase of the contest, which will be held on the 29th January 2022 in the Juan Bernabé Theatre of Lebrija, located in 8 La Peña Street, postcode 41740, Lebrija (Seville).

A video of each finalist contestant will be uploaded to the Youtube channel of Solera Flamenca, regardless of who becomes the winner of the contest.

In the final phase they will have the percussion of PACO VEGA, the palmas and cante of JESÚS CORBACHO and PEPE DE PURA and the dance of MARÍA REYES, CRISTINA SOLER and MARÍA CARRASCO.

The five selected finalists will receive an “ALMA by VICENTE AMIGO Profesional Pack” of SOLERA FLAMENCA STRINGS guitar strings valued at 48 €.

The final will be presented by Don Manuel Curao and broadcasted live on Canal Sur Radio and Lebrija Television.

In the final of this competition, we have decided to evaluate the guitarist in a more global way. This way, the artist will be judged taking into account the three most important aspects of the flamenco guitar:

-Solo or concert guitar
-Accompaniment to cante
-Accompaniment to baile

To this end, the artist will begin his performance with a guitar solo (lasting between 4-8 minutes) accompanied by PACO VEGA on percussion, then they will be joined by a cantaor (flamenco singer) JESÚS CORBACHO and PEPE DE PURA, whom they will accompany for approximately 2 minutes, and finally a baile (flamenco dancer) of MARÍA REYES, CRISTINA SOLER y MARÍA CARRASCO, whom they will accompany for approximately another 2 minutes. This will be all part of the same performance, so that the entire show offered by the guitarist can be judged during the 10-15 minutes that the performance will last.

3. Prize

The FIRST PLACE of the final will receive the “SOLERA BY BULERÍA CITY OF LEBRIJA” award, get the amount of ONE THOUSAND EUROS (1.000 €) in cash and a trophy and also:

-get a space in the next Caracolá de Lebrija

-a concert in the Festival FLAMENC-ON 2022 in Barcelona patrocined by Fundación Aura.

-a concert in the Festival de la Guitarra de Sevilla

(This whole set of concerts has a budget of more than € 3,000).

The SECOND PLACE will receive a cash prize of SEVEN HUNDRED EUROS (700 €) and a trophy.

The THIRD PLACE will receive a cash prize of FOUR HUNDRED EUROS (400 €) and a trophy.

Each FIVE FINALISTS will receive the sum of 250 € in cash to cover accommodation and travel expenses.

4. Jury

The selection of the five finalists will be made by a jury of nine people whose identity will be revealed after the end of the competition.

The jury for the final phase of the competition will be composed of four qualified people of recognised prestige in the field of flamenco, namely the guitarists Rycardo Moreno, Jerónimo Maya, Pedro Javier González, the journalist, writer and flamenco critic Manuel Martín and the public.

In this new and second edition, the public will participate in the voting, which means that they have a vote as the fifth member of the jury.

The jury’s verdict, which will be unappealable, will be announced after the jury’s deliberation process on the same night as the Final.

5. Organisation

The organisers reserve the following rights:

a) To vary the date and location of the final according to the needs of the situation.
b) To cancel the competition due to unforeseen circumstances, or if the number of contestants selected for the final is less than ten.
c) To record the participants’ performances in the final of the competition in audiovisual format, with the intention of sharing it on Solera Flamenca’s Youtube channel.

In Solera Flamenca, we continue to reinvent ourselves to contribute to the projection and expansion of the musical culture of flamenco guitar all over the world… WE’LL KEEP IT UP!!!!